The Revelation of the Rose 3rd Book of Fox McCloud
by Todd McCloud
Summary: The conclusion to the trilogy of Fox McCloud's life is at hand. Finally the hero returns to his Unonian comrades, but just how much of Uno is left? How long can they last? Is there more to Fox's past than really meets the eye?
1. Prologue

Prologue

The following is an excerpt from Todd Allensko McCasle's journal. Passionate for history, he wrote to calm his mind.

_Brutality. Hatred. Lies. Anger, fear, oppression, and a force so barbaric, so sickening has blanketed our nation in a thick, dark cloud. And at the center of the contest are the Unonian people, the innocent lives trampled on by the waves of Mafian troops. Thousands have been butchered in Drawshk alone, where the capital was lost only four months ago. Even more were killed in the outlying villages, now deserted and decorated with decaying men, women, and children. And on the eastern lands, where we were finally beginning to gain a foothold, is now a sea of injustice, a region full of horrible atrocities committed by the elite Mafian army. _

_Yet so much has happened before this. I suppose it started in Kardlo Field, where the "elite fighting force of the entire continent", the Careinians, were defeated by fierce resistance from the Unonian people, even though they were heavily outnumbered, ill-equipped, and held a devastated morale. Fox, our king, led the charge against an army so large and so learned it had conquered nearly a quarter of the continent – a feat unheard of in the modern age. But they lost Kardlo Field, and their bid for the continent with it. Though our victory proved our strength and will, gaining respect across the entire continent, it was more of a loss. It was the last time Fox was seen alive. It was the last time our great nation won a battle. _

_First Scendio fell to Mafian and Careinian jointed forces, cutting off any supplies and imports to Canvhis, as the city was the only safe path over the Ta'lavero mountains. It was rumored Vladlov had no part in that attack, but I don't trust a bastard, especially when every person in the nearby villages of Ulken and Ivlerlo was slaughtered, their bodies hung from the walls of Skendio as a reminder to what would happen if Uno was to humiliate the Careinians ever again. As our forces began to regroup, our eastern divisions fell to Mafian troops, rumored to be using men from Northland and Hazardouse to attack. Then the entire country seemed to fall. Large cities were sacked by Mafian forces – Visensko, Niskabo, Vivensk, Videsh, and even Cavansko, just to name a few. Then came the capital, Drawshk. Despite five nobles supplying armies to the city, our people were brought to their knees in eight days. And each time we marched away from a battle, we knew we were allowing each and every innocent bright face to perish. McRasko, now the self-proclaimed emperor of the New Mafian Empire, stands at the head of the charge, conducting this genocide on Unonian people. It's truly an abomination against all Unonians. Watching the battles, it was hard to believe that at one time every vulpine who donned a Mafian breastplate would have been proud to call himself a Unonian. Maybe some still are, as oppression runs rampant in the emperor's army, but I'm not that optimistic._

_Which brings me to today, roughly one year and two months since the victory over Canvhis. There's still no sign of Fox, still the murdering of thousands of lives, and we're still rotting here in Cavask. Praise the Almighty the great city has not been taken yet. Yet. Uno is now a shadow of it's former self, occupying a sliver of territory stretching from Cavask to the edge of the mighty Vialukro forest. We still have control of McVankevo and Caviske among other cities, but that is beginning to fade. But there's still hope. Todd McEdek has grouped every known Chaljsko fighter into Cavask. They number around five thousand, and are hungry for Mafian blood. Nobility, also residing in the temporary capital, have begun to station their armies in strategic locations across the Unonian frontier. Even the entire city of Cavask seems willing to fight for their fallen brothers and sisters. All we need is a spark. All we need is Fox. And we need him now. _

_Todd Allensko McCasle._


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

From the distance amidst the sprawl of tired, dense buildings appeared a broken body clawing through the streets of great Cavask, wrapped under a springtime cloud cover, drenched in a typical Unonian evening downpour. The sun had set only minutes ago, but life still proceeded. Still work was to be done in the great city. Still the vulpine crowds flowed down the cobblestone paths. Still the voices and tunes of the day's toil echoed down every street corner. Still the damaged body crawled across the bricked pavement; still its metallic fingers scratched the dense cobblestone and dragged its heavy self foreword over an old archway. Though it was only an alleyway in the busy, thriving holy city, the body had not gone unnoticed.

"Who… what are you?"

The body slowly lifted its head as rain continued to pour from outside the crumbling archway over the narrow corridor. Then, with a hard thud, its shoulders sank to the ground and it collapsed.

"Almighty in heaven," the man trembled. He stepped back, letting his dark trench coat fall within range of the coming rain. Quivering slightly, he quickly turned around and darted down the main avenue, almost running into a young couple as he stumbled out of the way of an oncoming cart. The beating of his heart vibrated in his triangular ears. Clawing at the air amidst the glow of hundreds of lighted windows lining the street, he didn't let the cool Unonian rain ease his tension. Instead it trickled down his brow and blew into his eyes without any attempt to blink it out. Nothing else mattered.

"Sir, are you okay?" a vixen across the street called out.

Not wasting any time, the fox pretended not to hear her, as if her inquiry were as unimportant as the last uneven brick he nearly tripped over a few steps ago. Or was that around the last corner? He had no idea. All he knew was the building that held all of the answers was only a long stairway away – the Cathedral of the Seven Sacraments, just around the last corner in the open square, stretching majestically into the evening sky like an eternal king ruling over his subjects of wood, brick, and shingles. Stained glass, full of sheer awe and miraculous wonder, adorned the large gothic structure in front of the frantic fox amidst a flowing staircase of cobblestone and marble.

Finally, he reached the top of the rungs. Running up to the great arched doorway, he banged the knocker to the massive wooden doors that soared many feet into the air, right up the arch, to the left and right of more stained glass and the statues of the saints of old. "Help! Someone help me!"

Leaning against the door and calming his neurotic breathing, he heard footsteps moving closer. In an instant the jaku wood doors were opened slightly, with a blue-furred fox standing in the opening. "Yes my son, what is it?"

"It's not him, Ives," shouted a voice from within the Cathedral. "It's never him."

Giving a single look back to the interior, the blue-furred fox, complete in his elegant priestly robes of green and white, carefully placed his only hand on the back of the man and lead him in with a pleasant smile. "You're safe here, my son. What troubles you?"

"Machine… head… eyes… demon!"

Ives stopped. "Demon? In Cavask?"

The man huffed as he swallowed a large gulp of air. "Over in the alley… Elalando and Vikvo Streets!"

Ives turned back to the interior of the cathedral, towards the droves of bricked openings, pews, and the altar, which still glowed despite its distance from the entrance. "Todd?"

From a pew sprung a thin red-furred fox wearing a black leather trench coat and large, circular sunglasses. A white t-shirt peered from his coat, along with loose brown pants and black boots peeking under his pants. He began to walk toward the two, slow at first, then turning to an all-out sprint down the holy aisle of the massive cathedral. "What is it, Ives?" he asked as others soon followed his lead.

"Come with me," Ives replied with a hint of urgency. "You're assistance is needed."

Todd stepped up to the two, nodding solemnly. "Yes Father," he replied through circular shades. Suddenly, his right hand shot up, and his weapon unsheathed with an echoing crack, frightening the disturbed man as his hands clutched the robes of the high priest. "But a demon?"

Holding up his hand, Ives shook his head slightly. "I don't know. But we can't take any chances."

Like the fierce Unonian wind tearing through a populated grove of trees, the entire building erupted in a cacophony of noises and voices. Confusion soon nestled in as the men and women amassed near the front.

"How does one _fight_ a demon?"

"Impossible!"

"What has McRasko done to Uno?"

"Cavask? The _Almighty's_ city?"

"The man is seeing things!"

"Please, please," Ives spoke. "The Almighty is with us – he will never leave us. When did you leave him?" The group became silent. "I see our nation in turmoil, I see our children in terror, our people dying, but I still have hope. Why? Because I believe the Almighty has not forgotten about us. I believe he will see us through this great evil."

Todd stepped forward, gripping his guardian staff tightly. "Cavask is all we have left! I pray each night, but my mind is riddled with conversations I have no control over." He paused. "I fear Fox is gone, that he'll never return. I miss him."

"Have faith, man," Jerimijo McFlist assured. "He's Fox. When has he ever let us down?"

The black-clad fox's face melted from a solemn glare to an infuriated explosion. "When he left and never came back!" Dropping his weapon, he lowered his shoulders, letting his raw emotions show, much to the dismay of those around him. "When he gave up on all of us. When he left me."

"He'll come back," Allensko McCasle groaned. "He wouldn't leave _any _of us to rot here."

"You don't know that!" Suddenly, his head lifted to the vaulted ceiling towards the paintings so far into the air they seemed to display heaven. "He taught me to believe in myself. He taught me how to fight, not just for Uno, but for the child in the deepest of darkest corridors, a place where no one would dare venture to! To fight without a single thought of reward either – to honestly fight for the people of Uno! And now he gave up."

"You don't know that," Allensko mocked

Todd ignored him. "Everything I learned from him was a sham. A sham!"

Suddenly from the tall doors came another knock. Everyone stood in attention, waiting for someone, anyone to make a move. Everyone was gripped in the twisted clutches of fear as beyond the door came a sound of heavy breathing. The unnatural tones sent shivers up the spines of each person within the confines of the cathedral.

Without even thinking, Todd impulsively opened the door with a heavy hand and a hard swing. He stepped back. In front of the entrance was a mechanized fox, complete with large, dark portholes for eyes, pointed ears, and fingers of spikes. The man who had entered only minutes ago began to yelp as he quickly backed farther into the cathedral behind Ives's robes. But not a sound from the rest was made.

With a sudden jerk, Todd quickly reached for his Chaljsko staff and pointed it directly at the machine, despite its apparent appeals. "You hurt me, Fox! You hurt all of us!"

"That's Fox?" one man blurted.

Todd nodded slowly. "His soul present, I can feel it." Suddenly, he dropped his weapon and bowed his head. Unonians from within the cathedral soon flowed by him, hoping to be the first to see exactly what was happening, whispering remarks of the ancient fighting style both men knew.

The machine reached for its neck and struggled to pull its head off. Two bolts came undone and the metal head was cast aside. Inside was none other than Fox McCloud, king of Uno, leader of the forces against Bronson McRasko.

"It _is_ Fox!" Ives shouted. "Our king's back!" Without thinking, he bent down to hug his old friend.

Crowds soon flocked to the body, attending to him and awaiting any words that might come out of his mouth. Hundreds of questions seemed to swell within the walls of the cathedral, yet no one dared ask any.

Fox smiled slightly, though everyone could tell he was incredibly fatigued. "I know you all have no idea where I've been or why I look like this, but I can explain everything, and I will."

"I know, man," Jerimijo replied. "We're just glad to see you."

"Of course, Jeri," Fox elated. He sat up with the assistance of a few men next to him. "It's all sketchy, but I've been talking to… I mean, I've pieced together some of the events. I was taken to McRasko's fortress, and…"

"McRasko's fortress?"

"Do you know where it is?"

"Is it massive?"

"Or dark?"

Fox bit his lip. "I don't remember that part." He laughed nervously, cradling his side with hands encased in metal. "I don't even remember the tortures very well. All I remember was spending months locked in a small cell, hoping I could find a way to escape. But I tried everything."

"Then how did you escape, man?" Jerimijo asked. He put a hand on Fox's chest, intrigued at his new clothes.

Fox smiled. Gazing around at his surroundings, he finally began to feel safe. Months and months of sheer pain and anguish were finally behind him, he believed. "I was supposed to die in that cell eventually. McRasko decided he couldn't kill me by force anymore, so he tried to gradually starve me. But, he forgot how I'm skilled in the Chaljsko – I couldn't have escaped without it. I killed the guards who transported me to another cell after breaking my chains and using the links to choke them and beat them. Then I sped down the hall, looking for anything that resembled an entrance."

"But what about the metal suit?" another man asked.

"Yeah, the suit," Fox replied. "It's a Mafian elite guardsman's outfit. I took one from the armory while I escaped around a few weeks ago. Then, when I moved past the gates and outposts I etched off any Mafian markings, hoping that no one would detect the uniform afterwards since I burned my clothes at the fortress."

"But how did you make it to Cavask then?" Allensko McCasle asked. He stepped forward as he furrowed his brow and placed his hands firmly on his hips. "Surely it's impossible that you have forgotten the path."

With his smile slowly melting, Fox looked directly into the man's eyes. "Allensko, I've tried very hard to remember as I moved through Cavask. I spent days on it trying to recall the last place I remembered. But I couldn't remember a single thing on the path I took to escape. Not even any towns. It was as if I woke in an entirely different spot. It's… it's like I was running, running so fast and so determined I had no idea what I was running to."

Allensko frowned. "You're not Fox McCloud. Fox McCloud would have remembered exactly the path he took from McRasko's fortress to great Cavask. Fox McCloud would have never donned a Mafian uniform." He stepped up to him, sword drawn. Other closed in. "If you are Fox McCloud, _king_ Fox McCloud, then where is your Maria's bracelet?" Moans and whispers of affirmation soon followed.

Fox looked down at his right arm, now barren of the article it once displayed. Cold and dark, he was surprised to know it was his own. "I lost it. It tears my heart in half every time I gaze at my arm. It makes my stomach wrench with pain. It prods my mind like the jabbing of a hundred pikes. My Maria, I have failed her." As he turned his head to view those around him, a look of ultimate anguish and despair infected his young visage.

From the gaggle of soldiers and common men appeared Todd, stepping up to the front of the entrance like a young gargoyle perched on solid ground. "If it is him, there will be only one way to find out. The number, 7445-924, should be etched on his chest."

Without a spoken word, Fox undid the bolts on a potion of the uniform on his chest, letting the metal fall to the floor and partially exposing his thin top of ribs and fur. In a moment, the number beamed back at the crowd like a light in the midst of an overcast Unonian night.

"It is Fox after all," Allensko replied. "Fox, I'm so sorry I ever doubted you."

Standing up, Fox absolved him with a pat on the back. "I would've done the same, friend." His eyes quickly darted around. "I know Uno is in pain – I can feel it."

Allensko led Fox down the aisle of the cathedral as the others followed. "Fox! Uno is wrapped in a great evil! Drawshk has fallen, and Bredansko, Fek, and Piske! Bronson McRasko has elected himself emperor of the New Mafian Empire! I don't know how much longer we can –"

"I know," Fox replied. "The situation looks horrible. But," he added as he gazed over at Todd, "I haven't given up. And none of us will ever give up. The Almighty is on our side, and as sure as the Almighty still reigns over Uno so will the Unonian flag over the four corners of the blessed nation. McRasko may have taken our lands, but he cannot take our souls. Uno will be free again, I swear it."

With a quick sprint and a growing grunt, Todd stormed up to the vulpine king and decked him on the side of the jaw with a hard blast. In an instant, Fox fell backwards to the floor as crowds of men restrained the black-clad fox. "Lies!" Todd shrieked. "You liar! Do you realize what you just said? You gave up on me! You gave up on all of us!"

Stumbling to his feet Fox stared into the shades of Todd, not letting a single blink befall him or his friend's heavy breathing distract him. "I won't fight you, Todd. I know you are hurt. I know seeing your countrymen dying and becoming slaves to McRasko tears at the fibers of your very being. It does to me too, Todd! It always has, it always will!" He stepped up to him. "I promised my dead fiancée that I would free Uno. I've only broken one promise to her, and I will never break one again!"

"That's because she believed in you, you told me so!" Todd replied.

"Of course she believes in me. But she believes in you too, Todd!"

Letting the tension in his fists drop, Todd bowed his head. The soldiers holding him up released him as he sunk to the floor. "I'm so selfish."

"We all can be sometimes," Ives added.

"Fox," Allensko said with a short, stabbing syllable, "how do we defeat the Mafia? They occupy almost the entire nation, save Cavask, Caviske, McVankevo, and the land in between."

"It's almost hopeless," a soldier in the crowd moaned.

Fox furrowed his brow as he turned to view the men and women around him. "We will invade Drawshk. We must regain the capital."

"Prepared clothes await you in the first monk's quarters, Fox," a monk informed.

"Thank you," he replied. He began to walk toward an undecorated door on his left while being led by the monk.

"But Drawshk is heavily fortified!" Allensko barked. "It's teeming with Mafians! No riders have come out of the metropolis alive, and all radio signals have been destroyed! It's a fortress now!"

"I don't have much of a choice," Fox retorted. He leaned a hand on the door and turned to his former advisor. "We gain back much of the western lands if we take the capital, as we can stage many attacks from there on the growing Mafian force."

"But why the western lands? Wouldn't it make sense to take the commanding posts of the east first, then encircle their forces?"

Fox shook his head. "No. They've held the western lands in the least amount of time. Therefore their numbers are probably disorganized and too weak to sustain a full-fledged invasion than the east side. How many soldiers are ready?"

"Most of the nobles' armies are ready. The United Unonian Order is in shambles and is too weak to be of any help. Your western army has divided into twenty divisions, each one stationed at strategic locations across our lands. Every Chaljsko fighter known is in Cavask."

"Call a meeting of the nobles. Invite all the Chaljsko fighters you can reach – we're going to attack!"

(Break)

"Why are you so frightened, Fox?"

"Maria," Fox began as he adjusted his metal-plated tunic, donned along with the loose brown pants, black boots, and black trench coat only hours ago. "I love you so much."

"And I love you very much too, Fox." The angelic vixen smiled warmly as her black and white dress flowed with the gentle breeze that cascaded across the glowing cathedral. "But why do you fear?"

His gaze sunk down to the cobblestone floor. "I haven't spoken to you in so long, my love." He paused, as if waiting on his own words to pierce through the inner walls of his soul. "I gazed into his eyes, Maria. McRasko's. And I saw… hate. Pure hatred. A hatred so intense it was like it could swallow every speck of light in Uno."

She placed a frail hand onto his, stroking it gently. It was wonderful to actually feel her again. Ever since her death seven sorrowful years ago, Fox was in constant thought of her – her looks, what she would think in a given situation, anything that could bring her spirit closer to his. Though his spiritual marriage with her helped curb part of his pain, each passing day became more difficult to overcome. Yet his will to fulfill her wish grew. To free Uno, to save a nation full of people who he thought deserved to be free. "But you are good, Fox. Good always overcomes evil. It is infinitely stronger than evil, though your world is almost blind to that."

"I'm only one man," Fox replied. "I can only do so much."

Maria nodded as she blinked with gentle ease. "Of course you are just one man. But that one man is a guardian, chosen by the Almighty to save Uno from the evil that darkens the land. You can do it, Fox. Believe you can, and you will."

"I know, but…" Looking up at his love, he began to feel feeble, insignificant, and weak. "But I don't know how much time I have to do that."

Maria nodded solemnly. "I understand."

"But I don't. Tell me, Maria, am I running out of time?"

She shook her head. "No, Fox. Your plan is being carried out, I believe."

Fox furrowed his brow. "Then how come I feel like a part of me is missing, or fading away? I never felt that way before the battle with Canvhis, when McRasko and I last fought. You remember that day, right? What happened?"

She sighed dolefully. "You can feel it then."

"Feel what?"

A quick jerk from her once rested hand disturbed the calm moment. "When you fought McRasko on the green Unonian fields on that fateful day only months ago, do you remember how you bled, Fox?" She waited for his affirmation. "I remember that day very well."

"Did you know I would lose to him, Maria?" Fox asked.

She paused. "No. I did not. I know nothing of your future, Fox, though I can see paths you cannot see and sense dangers you cannot sense. That's why I guide you, Fox. That and I love you." She paused. "On that day, you looked like you would finally defeat McRasko once and for all. I was thrilled to see the general's body flying through the air and tumbling to the ground with each blow! Oh, how wonderful it was! The New Uno was sure you could do it!" Suddenly, her growing smile melted. "But, in reality, you were the one who was hurt the most, Fox."

"What do you mean, my Maria?"

"Your soul, Fox. The blood you bled that seemed to seep out of every inch of your body was the blood of your soul, Fox. The damage done to it was not permanent, but…"

"But what, my Maria?"

With a hard blink, she forced a tear back. "The next time you use the Chaljsko to that degree your soul could be destroyed." She continued to speak, though she was sobbing and sighing. "I don't want that to happen, Fox!" Bursting into tears, she covered her large, deep eyes with her delicate hands.

As if on impulse, Fox brought her beautiful head to his chest and rubbed her gentle back with his bruised hands. "Maria, that will never happen."

"Promise me, Fox," she begged. "Promise me you will never do that."

Fox hesitated slightly as the past memories of battles with McRasko haunted his mind. What if he had to do that? He immediately decided he would never use that extreme. Mortal separation from Maria was painful enough – he couldn't imagine eternal separation. "I promise, my love."

Sniffling, she pulled away, wiping her furry cheeks with a frail arm. "I know you will keep that promise, Fox. I just worry about you so much."

"Don't worry about me," Fox replied with a tone so gentle even the morning Unonian breeze would have felt harsh and cold in comparison. "I'll watch out for myself. Just promise me you'll never worry about that anymore."

Maria nodded. "Fair enough," she laughed slightly as her tears began to dry.

Fox furrowed his brow. "But I don't understand. How can I defeat General, or Emperor McRasko then? If it nearly destroyed me to _almost_ defeat him, how can I defeat him?"

"You are chosen, Fox. You and only you know how to defeat him." As a gentle breeze cascaded to the ground level of the cathedral, the angelic vixen held her dress fast, appearing as if she was cold. "Fox, you are immortal until the Almighty has completed his plan for you, though none of us are sure of what that plan is. It could be you will free Uno; it might also be you might not. That is ultimately your choice adjusted to the plan. Always remember that. But, just as you are immortal until your unknown plan is complete, so is McRasko."

"Then what keeps McRasko from being destroyed?"

She nodded slightly as her shoulders relaxed against the jaku-wooded pew. "You and only the Almighty hold that answer, Fox. Just like you and only the Almighty know how to destroy McRasko."

"But what if I can't?" Fox gazed into her deep blue eyes, afraid to let them go. "If I am a guardian of Uno, that doesn't mean I'm certain to save the nation from evil, right?"

"If you believe, then you will, Fox," she replied. "It is only possible if you believe. But you do believe, and you will believe, for me, right, Fox?"

"Of course, my Maria."

With a relaxing sigh escaping from her nose, she slouched onto his shoulder, then moved downward toward his chest. On instinct, Fox moved his hand to her cheek, gently stroking it with a motion so soft the Unonian breeze across the corridors of Selena could not compare. "You will never leave me, right, Fox?"

"Never. You are too precious to me, my Unonian rose."

"Oh Fox," she began as her large eyes shut, "one day you'll be free. One day this nation will be rid from the horrors brought upon it. One day, Fox. One very bright day. I dream of that day. You… finally come home, to me, in the New Uno. All your cuts and pains will be gone. You will find true happiness." She laughed slightly. "I have a large house in Cavask, in the New Uno. It's lonely without you to hold me."

"I can hardly wait," he said with a smile.

"We've all managed to settle in the same area, Fox. Frankjo and his wife, your parents, your friend Sorrento, and countless others are all settled in beautiful Cavask, much more great in the afterlife. They're all watching over you, Fox. All of them."

"I just want to be with you."

A grin of sheer ecstasy stretched across her muzzle. "That's what I tell them." She paused. "But I am patient, Fox. I know you can free Uno, and if waiting a long time for that to happen means delaying our forever, then I can wait. But one day, one wonderful day, Uno will be free."

Fox smiled as he gazed at the frail body next to him. "But it will never happen unless I make it happen, as you've told me, my Maria."

"There is another."

Fox blinked after her last words. After he opened his eyes, she was gone, only the soft breeze in the cathedral could be felt by the souls of the living. Shuddering, Fox put his hands together and blew into them, hoping to get his calloused hands moving properly once again. He ran them down his loose brown pants then down to the kneecaps, where the last of his mortal body ventured. Past that length was all steel, covered in new yet worn pants and boots of inky black. Past that length was the pain and suffering that plagued his physical self each day. Humbled, Fox lifted his gaze to the altar, shining brightly amidst a crowd of stone, stained glass, and elegant draperies, hanging from their high bars along the top, each one depicting the lives of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the holy Unonian couple – St. Thomasso and St. Aiya, the first Christians of Uno.

"Wait," Fox suddenly spoke, though he knew no one could hear him. "If I _am_ chosen, if I _am_ a guardian, then why was I made that way? What could I possibly have to offer to these people? My body?" He looked down at his legs. "What could the Almighty want with me? I'm just a simple Unonian peasant who can fight well with a staff and was made into a king out of sheer luck. Why am I a guardian? Why am I chosen to free Uno from this mad dictator McRasko? Why? Aside from all the chosen talk, what makes me different? I'm not better than anyone – I am their equal. But why do I feel like I can never be like them?"

The weight of the world seemed to rest itself on Fox's shoulders that very moment, pressing him against the pew like the might of one thousand men. But he didn't squirm. For some reason, he took in stride. Forgetting the questions of his future, he instead turned to his past, how years and years ago Maria and he were attacked by Mafian soldiers. Once he was a kit who could do nothing to stop the evils that befell him and those he cared about. Once he was a man who could do nothing to stop the evils except take some of them on at short bursts. But now he was king. Now he could stop the evils with the help of those who want the same thing he wanted: freedom – freedom from hatred, from sadness, from anger, from every dark path. Regardless of the reasoning or the unknown horizon of the future, he at least knew he would be leading Uno, hopefully leading its people to daybreak.

"It's nearly midnight. Why can't you sleep?"

Fox glanced up from his clenched hands and noticed Todd, who leaned an arm against the edge of a pew. "I could ask you the same question," he replied.

"Yeah, but I never sleep this early. And you need it – you're tired. So why can't you sleep?"

"How can anyone sleep in a time like this?"

Todd laughed. "For once, you're tenser than me." Brushing the thin edge of his black leather trench coat away from the jaku wood, he sat down next to Fox, grimacing slightly. Apparently he had gained some physical limitations too. "Yeah, Uno's in trouble. But it's been in trouble ever since we were born. It's only that it's in more trouble than we remember."

"You don't understand. McRasko is a great evil. He _is_ evil."

"Once more you've underestimated me, Fox," Todd remarked in a slightly irritated tone. "When I watched him fighting you that day months ago, I looked into his eyes. It was only a passing glance, but in them shone the look of pure evil, of inescapable darkness. It's the kind of eyes that can give you nightmares for months, as I'm sure you know. So after that day I've tried to figure out how to destroy him, especially since you haven't been able to do that yourself."

"I'm listening."

"It's… hard to explain, but it has to deal with him using people. He's like an infectious disease – he preys on people who are preoccupied with sin and uses them like a weapon against the good. You remember McLerive? Greed corrupted his soul, which let McRasko twist him into something to do his bidding."

Fox shook his head as he turned his head to gaze at the altar. "I don't think you've given this enough thought. Who's to say he did it to himself?"

"Listen," Todd commanded, then calmed himself once he remembered his position. "You are the chosen one. You are the guardian. You are the one to defeat him – I can feel it pulsate in my bones. I believe that, though there are people who don't."

"What makes you think that I _am_ a guardian?" Fox asked as commotion from the east wing of the cathedral filtered to where they were sitting. Voices carried through the echoing halls of the massive structure.

"It's a feeling I've had for a long time, especially after the dreams I had." He paused as his young brow wrinkled, making his face appear as if he was in intense thought. "I see you with many people I don't know. People are fighting all around you, in a big city, but you're in the middle of it. You're fighting a black shadow, but I never see the end result, though I think you lose." He paused. "You've been going about it all wrong, and I can prove it!"

Fox held up a hand at Todd as he bowed his head, keeping his gaze forward. "No, Todd. No. You just don't understand."

"You never listen to me!"

The vulpine king glanced up at the urbanite and noticed his teeth were clenched in rage. "I have been listening to you for the past few minutes."

"No!" Todd shouted as the nuns and the monks of the cathedral began to sing their solemn hymns. "You stomped on my words without giving me a chance. You've become bitter, Fox. Bitter and close-minded. And that's what I was about to say. If my observations on McRasko are right, then he feeds off evil, off hate, lies, revenge, and rage. Each time you fought him you've let those things enter your soul. And that's how he wins, Fox! That's how!"

Fox blinked hard as he turned away. "It's more complicated than that, Todd. Believe me. I can't explain it, but it is."

Suddenly, the black-clad fox jumped from his seat, first with jerky movements then with a flowing movement of his hands. "Whatever, Fox. Reject all I say, give no backing to your arguments, but I guess it doesn't matter. After all, you're the king – you answer to no one. You have the power to make up whatever you want in order to get your point across."

The vulpine king watched as the other fox stepped out of the pew aisle, his boots making a crisp sound against the cobblestone floor despite the chanting of the monks and nuns above them.

"So it is true then," Todd added. "Of course. Certainly, insignificant urbanite. It's all anyone thinks I am anyway. Just an urbanite."

Fox sighed. "I am your equal, Todd. I'm not better than you in any way, and deserve nothing. I'm not going to fight you – I don't want to do that anymore."

"Well, then, take this, your highness. It's all you care about anyway." The fox wearing dark circular shades reached into one of the deep pockets of his trench coat and pulled out an object, quickly flicking his wrists so it would fly in Fox's path. In an instant, Fox's face lit up as he caught the object.

"Take it and leave me alone. I'm going to save Uno."

Placing the bracelet of his dead Maria on his right wrist once more, Fox felt complete. The worn jade put a glow in Fox's face as he began to slip into thoughts of a better time, where Uno was more loving and more accepting, where a sunset was more than a sunset and flowers smelled just a little more wonderful.

"Todd, wait," Fox commanded. He paused until the other fox turned abruptly from his steady walk down the aisle. "Uno is my nation too, and I was wrong for not coming to its aid sooner. But I will never give up on my people, Todd. They are a part of me, and I'm a part of them. If they suffer, then I suffer too." He scoffed slightly. "I guess what I'm trying to say is I've been asked to protect them, so I will. It's my promise." He watched as Todd began walking toward him. "But you have a duty too, Todd. And you can feel it – I know you can because you are gifted in the sensations of the Chaljsko."

"It's not the same, though," the black-clad fox began as he returned to his seat. "Uno is in pain."

"I know it is."

"Then you must also know how much it hurts me to see my country, my friends and family torn to pieces by an evil I can't defeat."

"Your love for people is strong," Fox added. "Every death tears at my heart. I don't want anyone else to die from this war."

"Exactly!"

"But I think everyone wants that."

"But what can we do?" he cried. "McRasko has this nation in a death grip! He's made them into slaves! He's overthrown the capital! What's next?"

Fox smiled, hoping to bring his friend's hopes up. "His demise is what's next."

As Todd turned to face Fox, the vulpine king could tell tears were in his eyes despite his shades. "I hope you're right."

Glancing down at the bracelet now hanging at his wrist, Fox began to flick it across his thin limb with a tired, thin hand. "Long ago, I promised I would save Uno to the most beautiful rose in all the land. I will never lose sight of that."

"I know, you've told me that a bushel of times."

Fox smiled slightly. "I don't mind repeating it. I guess when I made that promise, I made it to the rest of Uno. So, with that in mind, my life is not my own. I belong to them."

"You're a good man, Fox, but that doesn't mean you will save Uno."

Nodding, Fox stood up. "Believe, Todd. Every child at a young age is taught that good is more powerful than evil. Somewhere along the way, we lose sight of that, and look for other things to put our faith in. Yet when we do that, we no longer believe, and whatever good we were trying to do is done in vain."

Todd stood straight and still. "That was interesting. Who told you that?"

"Someone I put my entire life into." Letting his gaze dart around, he finally settled back on the person in front of him. "Spread the word. Tomorrow we set out for Drawshk."

"Tomorrow?" Todd shouted. "Now you're making more sense! But I would've gone sooner." He paused. "You do know people won't like this, especially the nobility. What about the meeting you wanted with them?"

Grinning, Fox motioned for Todd to leave. "I'll save it after Drawshk. We need to attack now."


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

"No! Help me!" screamed the beaten Fox McCloud who stretched his arms out to a rapture that seemed just outside an arms' reach. Though he ran as hard as he could, the comforting image of safety and love seemed to move away from him. His heart sank with each passing step, yet his legs grew more and more determined, striving to reach the safety he would never reach.

"You cannot come, McCloud!" shrieked a booming, staccato voice from behind him.

Fox stopped dead in his tracks. From his fading gaze came the sights of shadows, of his hands and the veins of his hands turning black with blood now pouring out. The dark liquid spewed from the broken skin, spattering his clothes. The spattering soon morphed into a steady ooze, drenching him in darkness. Visions of his life flashed before his eyes. Immense sorrow blanketed his heart as he fell to his knees with silent quivers.

Suddenly, from behind him came dozens of blackened arms, reaching for whatever they could grab onto. Fingers tore off hands like twigs on a dead tree. Arm sockets buckled and twisted to the unbearable strain. In an instant he dug his handless arms into the dirt, hoping for traction against the hundreds of jerks and twists coming from the shadows behind. But it was useless – his arms quickly snapped off at the elbows, and he was flung backwards into the unknown, into a realm where no light shone.

"Please!" he screamed. "No! Never! Maria!"

(Break)

Gasping and shaking, Fox woke from his hellish nightmare in a fit of terror. His fatigued eyes darted around the serene Unonian countryside, next to people he knew and had grown to know over the past few days of traveling. Any sound paralyzed him in fear. Faint cries of birds, cracking limbs from the mighty jaku tree's spring fall, and unknown yet typical noises of the woods wrapped his mind in terror. Without thinking, he gripped his Chaljsko staff, which lay to his right, and held it close like a child does a toy. _Oh Heavenly Father,_ he thought. _What's happening to me? I'm so very scared. _

Suddenly, his ears shot straight up. A new sound – the sound of footsteps – entered his area. With eyes shot wide open, he spotted figures from afar stepping closer to where he lay. Immediately he sat up, clutching his staff with white knuckles. Yet his breathing began to ease when he noticed it was only Allensko with a few soldiers, probably relaying information to him no doubt. Breathing a sigh of relief, he watched as his former advisor stepped over exposed roots and rocks carefully at first, then completely ignoring them once he laid eyes on Fox.

"Today is the day, right Fox?" shouted the well-dressed man wearing royal robes of red, white, and black. Even his shoes were polished respectfully despite the long trek to Drawshk.

Fox nodded, breathing a great sigh of relief. "Yes," he replied. "Is everyone ready?"

Allensko shook his head as he motioned the soldiers to leave their presence. A hard crack from a nearby ikvu limb startled him, but he immediately shook it off and reformed the stern expression on his face. "No. I'm not ready because I know in my bones this won't work, Fox. Civilians? The Mafia's numbers against ours? This doesn't seem like a fight for Uno – it's more or less something out of rage. Please come to your senses, Fox!"

"This _will_ work," Fox snapped firmly. He hopped to his artificial feet. "Drawshk must be freed in time for Istero. This is the right time."

"But the sheer numbers!" Allensko shouted as he whipped a branch from a Polvenu tree backwards, stepping closer to his king. "The last time the numbers were this great against Uno was in the battle of Ki in 1551, where Todd McVanke III attempted to defend that city against Hazardouse. Not only did he lose, but he lost his own life in that battle!" Gripping the shoulders of Fox, he almost flung him to the ground. "And all of his men were trained soldiers! And they had the entire city as a foothold! This is foolish!"

Almost on impulse, Fox pushed McCasle backwards. "I know it sounds impossible, but we've had horrible odds against us before and come through." He watched as a soldier pointed to his metal skirt wrapped round his waist. Made entirely of thin yet durable steel, its ribs and tapers zigzagged outward down to his boots. It was the dress for the unbelievable battle with Canvhis, now an accepted article for the entire Unonian cause. "Remember Kardlo field with Canvhis? Plus, we have a plan."

"Oh, yes, I forgot. The plan!" Throwing his arms in the air, the former advisor let his robed appendages kiss the sunlight that fell between the tops of the trees. "And what a plan it is! Yes, we go undercover as four of our noble's armies attempt to storm Drawshk's wall! And that's _if_ the nobles decide to cooperate!"

"Do you see a better way?" Fox inquired.

Allensko paused. "This is marred with failure!" He positioned his face directly in front of Fox's. "If you give me some time to figure out some things, then yes, of course!"

"We don't have that time!" Fox shouted. "Each minute we waste fighting out here another Unonian within the walls of that city dies!"

"Even if we wait for more help from the nobles thousands could die!"

Fox looked behind him and noticed Todd, dressed in his typical trench coat, shirt and pants, but also wearing a metal skirt. Giving him a slight nod, he turned back to McCasle. "You love history, Allensko. But even history can't tell us what will be the outcome of this battle."

"Of course not," Allensko snapped. "But I can discern between a fair fight and a death wish!"

Fox made a motion as if he was going to hit the belligerent vulpine, but he stopped his arm in mid-swing. Cowering, Allensko quickly rose from his crouched position and stood as straight as the collection of trees behind him. Sighing, Fox dropped his arms and walked toward him. "Please trust me today. Believe we can take this city. Think of next morning, when the children and adults within those walls can wake up to the sound of the bells of St. Thomasso once again and know they are free."

Hesitating slightly, the former Advisor nodded. "Okay. But if you lose Uno… then may your soul perish!"

"I would expect nothing less," Fox replied.

Todd stepped up to the two. "We _will _win." He paused. "But I'm worried about the people, Fox. The civilians. Won't they be at a huge risk?"

Fox nodded as he began walking toward the encampment. The soldiers who followed Allensko earlier soon joined them from their positions in the maze of vegetation. "If from what I've heard about Drawshk is true, then the entire ordeal will be their least painful day." He turned to the fox wearing dark shades. "They'll be protected, Todd. I would never put any of them in harm's way."

"Just remember, Fox," Allensko warned, "This isn't the days when you used to lead small groups of men into cities and take them or lose them. This is Drawshk. And you're the king. And if you lose this fight… then Uno could be lost too."

Stepping over a moss-covered rock, Fox tried not to let his nerves show through. He was typically very good at hiding emotions, but his recent nightmares began to wear on him. "I know."

"I just hope they buy it," Todd muttered. "That's what I'm most worried about right now."

Suddenly, from the left came a collection of Unonian Raccoon soldiers. Still wearing the typical Slovokite army uniforms of spiked metal shoulders, hard leather tunics and chain mail pants, they waved to demonstrate they were unarmed.

Allensko turned to Fox. "They're left from the campaigns of the Careinian wars across the continent, which ended only months ago. They find safety in our troubled lands, leaving behind their homeland and working for the will of a Uno, an ally to their nation."

"Enough with the lessons," Todd warned as the great encampment began to peek from the foliage.

"Fox McCloud, sir," the most decorated raccoon spoke, "Vladlov II has pledged his support for our cause. He wishes you good luck in the following months and hopes he can assist you in future battles."

"Heh," Allensko scoffed. "You don't believe that turncoat, do you, Fox?"

Shaking his head, Fox continued to walk toward the groups of Unonian soldiers amassed in a clearing in the midst of a large forest. "Of course not," he replied as the raccoon mercenaries followed them to the encampment. "But if we lose this war, we might not have a choice."

"Which makes this battle even more important," muttered Todd.

As they approached the numbers, Allensko sped past his king and waved his arms about, signaling the presence of their leader. The nobles, along with their generals and accompanying Chaljsko fighters, sprung into action to get their commands to attention. A cacophony of noises erupted across the clearing as men, numbering in the thousands, rose to their feet, clutching their weapons and crosses that hung round their necks.

"Our king approaches!" Allensko shouted among the clamor. Wind whipped through the barren land as the sun continued to ascend. It was as if the heavens took note of the stirrings at hand.

Fox stepped up to his men, surprised to see everyone minus Allensko and the priests wearing long metal skirts, and stopped next to two nobles he knew very little of and four generals, one of which he remembered from the war with Canvhis. Ives, the highest priest of Uno, the Archbishop of Cavask, stood directly at his right, with Todd next to him. Jerimijo stood at the left.

"The city of Drawshk must be free, and we've been called to free it!" Fox shouted. Cheers and shouts from oppressed tongues littered the morning air. It was as if they had been waiting for something to spark the flames within their mind. Standing with nerves trembling in fear, the vulpine king waited for the crowds to calm. "Today is more than the previous battles in Cavask, more than the skirmishes at McVankevo, and much more important than the bloody contest with Canvhis in Kardlo Field. The entire fate of our nation rests in our tired hands. Every man, woman, and child who stands with tremulous legs and proclaims his or her Unonian background is counting on us today, not just me, not just the nobles or the generals, but you, men of the Almighty, men of mercy, men of justice, men of Uno! You have the ability to give life to the little ones who hide in the dark shadows of Drawshk, crying out for someone somewhere to light her path to freedom, to mercy, to love! You! Unonians! We are all equal in worth!" Lifting a nerve-strained fist in the air, the conglomeration of soldiers began to cheer once again. "We can free Drawshk! We can free them! But it will not be easy." Soon the group began to calm once more. "In the throne room of the palace sits McRasko, the self-proclaimed emperor of the New Mafian Empire. He awaits his daily speech to the people of the star-crossed metropolis, but I know that is the last thing on his mind. He's filled with blind anger and intense hatred, something foreign to Unonians. He gazes out of the stained glass windows and views a land that is his, entirely his, where the people are enslaved and unable to fight for their life and their God-given right to let the sun light them in the morning and the free air caress their beautiful faces each day."

Shouts and cheers intensified. "The head of McRasko will be ours!" one of the generals screamed, blasting through the voices from the soldiers. Medals on his chest glistened from the light pouring in from above, demonstrating his authoritativeness. Fox turned to Todd in fear, and Todd moved his head from the general back to Fox.

"What do we do?" Todd asked.

Fox bit his lip. Then, with a clear head and a sound mind, he lifted up his arms as the throngs of men subsided once more. "We will invade Drawshk, but this isn't a normal invasion, as I'm sure you're aware." He turned to the general who spoke earlier, then returned to face the crowds. "I can't promise you McRasko's defeat today, but I can promise you this – the Almighty is with us. He will never leave us. Furthermore, we are the Unonians – we know pain, suffering, and oppression. But now it is time to witness new feelings – freedom, serenity, and peace. It might not be today, or a year, but one day, one very good day we will live the way we've yearned for since the day we were born! In freedom! Brothers and sisters of the Unonian blood will finally rest!"

The masses exploded in cheers and shouts that echoed across the clearing to the trees all around. Hundreds, thousands of men raised their voices in the cool air, hoping their great noise would reach the heavens to which they looked upon with intense wonder.

"Assemble according to the noble lord you hail from!" shouted Allensko as he ran about to each group, even though he himself held no ranking. "Chaljsko fighters report to the king! Nobles, bestow fifty men each to our king!"

With a weak smile, Fox placed his hands on his boney hips, gazing out at the activities before him. Some men walked toward him, toting Chaljsko staffs ranging from the elegant and almost brand-new to the worn and severely damaged. Their clothes demonstrated every walk of life in every corner of Uno. The noble lords, some who looked more energized than he had ever seen before, began to reorganize their men and tuck them under the shelter of the forest, awaiting commands for an attack.

"Fox McCloud, sir," a noble lord spoke, "Vezeroz, here to pay homage to my king." He bowed appropriately and fluidly, displaying his highly trained and educated background despite the commotions around him. His voice was rich and deep.

"Stand up, sir," Fox commanded, "I'm not worthy to be bowed to. Never have been. Never will be."

"I'll fight for you until my last breath," Lord Vezeroz continued. "Never before have I followed a man willing to lose his being for his people. I am privileged to join you in this battlefield today." He stood up slowly. "My men will await your commands on the south end of the city wall, as you have commanded. I beseech you, when should we attack the main arteries leading into the city?"

Fox paused. "When you hear the bells of St. Thomasso, you move."

"And if we do not?"

"Then pray for us and storm the inner gates when the sun is directly above you."

He nodded solemnly. "I'll deliver this information to the other lords. But what about your men? Surely you cannot just walk into the metropolis unnoticed!"

A wry smile grew across Fox's muzzle as his head bobbed slowly. "I know. Villagers from nearby should be arriving soon with our disguises." He glanced up at the sky. "Thank the Almighty for Istero being only a week away or we'd never get away with it."

The noble lord nodded politely. As he toddled back to his force, Fox noticed that a crowd had gathered around Ives. While he couldn't make out what he was saying, he could tell that whatever he was saying seemed to ease the tension in each man's face.

(Break)

"From Bredansko, sir, hoping to attend the Istero celebration in Drawshk this year."

The vulpine Mafian guardsman, complete with his glistening armor and chain mail, drew a long face as he scratched his old chin. Other guards approached the large conglomeration. "Why would you choose Drawshk? Why not Cavask – it is, after all, the holy city." His face contorted and tightened with each syllable.

Fox paused. "We originally planned to travel there, but the journey looked too perilous. Furthermore, Bredansko is much closer to Drawshk than Cavask."

"But surely you've heard the Istero celebrations aren't until next week?" More guards came from their posts to block the crowd's path. Stern, cold faces populated the environment. "This isn't the Drawshk of old, you know? We are very leery of outsiders – especially outsiders who arrive way ahead of schedule." He paused as Fox began to step forward. "Bredansko was destroyed years ago by a Unonian raid, wasn't it?" The guards, now capturing the attention of more soldiers inside the gate, nodded their heads in affirmation and began to talk amongst themselves in whisper and slight hand gestures. "Yes, it was!" He grabbed Fox's robe round the neck and flung him toward his face. "So! You aren't from Bredansko, are you?"

Forcing his hand off his clothes, Fox back away. He was quick with a readied lie. "No one ever said we were. While on our travels, we passed through that city to get here and set up camp, hoping more from nearby villages would meet us there. But when activity began to spring around us, we decided to set off for Drawshk early, hoping those from Histe and Ilevethru would avoid the battles and meet us here." He paused. "Originally, most of this group is from Lresene."

The head guard unclenched his teeth. "Oh," he replied. "Wait right here – I'll see if I can grant you clearance." His shifty eyes moved back and forth like water moving though jagged rocks. Without a sound, he waved a hand at the soldiers and sentinels behind him and watched with a firm façade as they began to follow him in through the gates.

"They're not buying it, I can tell," Allensko interjected.

Fox turned around to view his men. In front of him stood roughly three to four hundred men – about the size of a small village, wearing long hooded robes of black, brown, white, and green, each one a different design from the others. Wooden masks were on each one's face, as tradition for the Istero celebrations, painted appropriately and with varying expressions of joy, anguish, and anger. Even the thinner men, in order to keep the illusion of simple villagers, braided their front hair with beads and made sure the strands peeked from under their hoods over their more feminine masks, so they would look more like women. Despite their unchanging visages, Fox could tell every person was uneasy.

"Just follow my lead," he whispered, knowing his message would trickle down to the back of the group. "Once we are in, the ten men selected will take off their masks and appear as monks. Ring the bell during McRasko's speech, and we will commence the attack."

Mutters soon spread throughout the crowd as the team of soldiers returned. Fox abruptly turned around to view the guardsmen, quickly fixing his mask and readjusting his triangular ears over the top holes of his hood.

"You are all aware this is a Mafian city now?" the head sentry asked.

Fox nodded. "Yes, and we would be delighted if you'd join us."

Nodding slightly, the old Mafian gave a hard blink, raising his eyebrows in an unusual manner, letting the folds on his forehead make deep channels in his grim face. "Okay. Your story seems reasonable, and your intentions don't seem threatening. Coupled with the fact that McRasko has not barred Istero from Drawshk, you have clearance. But," he added as he poked Fox square in the chest, "you are required to attend _each_ and _every_ speech the emperor gives. If you wish to stay in the city of McRasko, you must give the utmost respect to him!"

Turning around, Fox waited for someone to nod. "Naturally," he replied.

"You will follow us then," the head guard commanded. "He will be speaking momentarily on Voveko Street."

In an instant, the Mafian soldiers, coupled with some of the gate guards, marched over the archway into Drawshk proper, their clinking metal keeping to the sound of a single step. Not far behind was Fox and his men, keeping their roles in check to starve the paranoia of the chain mail clad Mafians.

The outlying areas of Drawshk were cold and dark, stained by the tides of bitter coercion and fear. Fox and his men were unprepared for the injustices of the inner city. Buildings, once colorful and glittering across the morning sky, once the pride of Unonian glory, now seemed to be in a perpetual sigh, depressed by the fate of the people within their walls. Jaku-wooden and white-bricked houses complete with their thick-glassed windows and shingles made of bark and tar seemed to be former shells of their past glory. Everything looked like it was well overdue for repair too. Holes in the roofs dotted the street the procession walked on, overlooking the cracking doors, busted windows and battered cobblestone road below them. Even rain barrels, once emptied on a regular basis, were overflowing and swelling from the amount of water still inside them. Though buildings covered up most of it, the palace in the distance looked dark and cold, colder Fox had ever seen. It was as if the entire city was in agony.

"They're watching us," a voice muttered to Fox. He wasn't sure who it was, but after seeing dark sunglasses in the large eyeholes of the poignant mask he wore, Fox was certain it was Todd.

"I know, but I can tell they're too afraid to step out of their dark homes to see what's going on."

Todd nodded. "The ten men have already split from the group. The word was passed up to me that they'd wait until McRasko's speech was over."

"Then we'll wait until he's done talking," Fox whispered. He glanced over his shoulder when he heard some of the men chanting Istero mantras, using their dulcet tones to ease the tension of the atmosphere around them, further fitting into their roles.

The walk to Voveko Street was just as nerve wracking as it was depressing. Children, coated with soot and their emaciated bodies clinging to their tattered clothes, watched with dark faces as the group passed by. Dotted around the dead street were adults watching with eyes that knew too well of pain, darkened with decay and anguish unheard of outside the nation. City streets, once bustling with life and carts boasting anything across the Cosovian continent, were now hollow and barren. As they turned onto Voveko Street, Fox became overwhelmed at the drastic downfall of the once beautiful city. Tall, elegant buildings that once hugged the sides of the street now leaned on each other for support. Appearing as if they were gutted on the inside, their wonderful display of Unonian architecture at its finest was no more than a picture of battle-scarred rubble, complete with entire front walls missing or crumbling onto the street. Yet in front of those buildings, amassed on the streets was a portion of the Drawshk residence, who appeared to be nervous and as gloomy as the structures around them. Walking faster, Fox's group quickly reached the palace at the end of the street in order to spare time for the start of McRasko's speech. The once picturesque structure now had every window blown out, as well as numerous piles of rubble lying around it. The once stern faces of the kings and guardians of old now stood ashamedly with paint and dirt spattered on them. Graffiti and decaying bodies were abound.

Suddenly, Fox turned his head toward the palace. A fanfare of trumpets blasted out to the masses in front, screaming across the battered landscape with an ominous tune, like an ugly bird sounding to the aftermath of a forest fire. As the vulpine king attempted to move toward the front of the crowd, he noticed someone coming out of the large jaku wood doors of the once splendid building. It was none other than Emperor McRasko, coupled with some high-ranking officers of the Mafian army to his left and right.

"McRasko!" shouted a masked man next to him.

The atmosphere of the crowd suddenly shifted to a more fearful tone. Women around Fox immediately dropped to their knees with looks of absolute sorrow on their faces, complete with clenched teeth for a hint of resistance. _Why are they bowing to him? _Fox thought as he turned to see more fall to their knees. _How can they accept this fate?_

"The emperor of the New Mafian Empire!" boomed a Mafian commander with well-polished decorations adorning his metallic chest, complete with a row of bullets for a belt. "Accompanied by me, General McNerol. Bow to your ruler, you filthy minions!"

More people fell to the ground. It seemed to happen in waves, as Fox noticed the tens of thousands of people suddenly calm and submit in short bursts.

"How the mighty have fallen," remarked Bronson McRasko, who stood at the top of the steps. His voice seemed to barrel through the entire street like a charging train. His appearance was much more gruesome, much more fear-inspiring than before. Taller, at least seven feet now, and wider, his ripping muscles bulged from the gold breastplate and thick leather coat he wore. Even his legs, covered in chain mail and pants, seemed larger. He was a walking nightmare. "Thank you, general. But there are those among us who dare rebel against their emperor. I have been very lenient with this noncompliant metropolis for far too long." The emperor paused. From certain areas around him, Fox noticed those who still refused to kneel, now rare and appearing like broken trees across a grassland of worn clothes. People, women mainly, were pleading with those who refused to submit. Even Fox, who still stood, noticed an old vixen pulling at his robe, not uttering a single word.

"And your lack of faith in my immaculate and earnest plan for tranquility across this murky land has been discarded by so many of you impertinent resistors. Foolish slaves! Do you not realize who I am? I am your master! I am your conqueror! Rejoice whenever the name McRasko is privileged to fall within the hollows of your worthless ears! Beg for my presence each sunrise and dream of a unified Uno at each sunset with me guiding you impudent fools down the thin path of liberation! Let your masochistic dreams surface for me!" His voice grew to an explosion as it grinded and bubbled. "Such insolence! Do you not realize I could rip the very flesh off your pitiful bones? Resistance is futile. I cradle this unruly city in the palms of my iron hands, yet there are those who still believe they can actually destroy my wonderful plan with their abhorrence and deceit!" Pausing again, Fox noticed screams coming from around the group. "It is time to tear out the weeds, to burn the chaff, to slaughter the goats!"

A spray of bullets shelled the crowd. Upon hearing the first shots, Fox flung himself to the ground, covering his head with his bare hands just as a few shots whizzed past his ears coupled with shrieks and shouts from all around. Yet as soon as it began, it was over. As he opened his eyes, Fox noticed the vixen next to him wasn't as lucky – two gaping holes across the head never are. Lifting his gaze, he heard faint cries and screams across the entire crowd, wrapping the land in eerie tones of despair and anger.

"Anyone _else_ wish to be brave?" boomed the emperor.

A disturbing silence waylaid the crowd. Looking to his right, Fox noticed a very thin blue-furred vixen kit wiping the tears from her soft cheeks as she felt her hand around the holes in the downed vixen's skull. Gazing up at Fox, her green eyes glistened through the tears.

"Long live Uno!" an unknown person shouted. In an instant, he was gunned down. However, his cry seemed to spark a fuse that ignited the will of the masses. Shouts and horrid cries for McRasko's death sprung from the tens of thousands and into the face of the emperor. Despite the gunfire, which now took out the rebels more precisely, more and more spoke out.

"Death to the bastard McRasko!"

"Free Drawshk!"

"Burn in hell!"

Fox didn't utter a word, waiting for whenever the bells of St. Thomasso would ring. Checking around him, he noticed those in the hooded robes began to group closer to him, appearing anxious under their faces of wood. Though it tore at his heart to see so many die from the evil around him, he knew lashing out would mean death to all huddled in the avenue. Suddenly, the vulpine king looked down. The little girl from before was now clutching his robe, drying her large, deep eyes with the cloth of his robe. Fox placed a hand on her handkerchief-covered hair.

"An example must be made!" blasted the emperor. "Every last one of you horrid skeletons will die today if you do not submit to your master!"

"You submit to yours!" shouted one of the hooded men. "Abomination!"

"Bring that man to me," growled McRasko within reach of his microphone.

As a group of soldiers filed through the crowd, Fox noticed the imprudent fighter was Todd, hiding under the same mask as before. Fox sighed. _You never learned patience, did you, Todd? _With great haste, despite the people nearby trying to restrain the metal-clad men, they nabbed Todd and another hooded fox next to him.

_I can't help him,_ Fox thought as he watched the two men being pushed to the front of the crowd. Gripping the child closer to his leg, he watched with great fear as the two approached the emperor. Yet for some reason, the kit seemed to ease his doubts, even when they removed both of the captives' masks, revealing the second dissenter to be Jerimijo, Fox's lifelong friend.

"Submit to me," Emperor McRasko spoke within an arm's length of the black microphone as they removed both men's robes, revealing their street clothes, complete with their metal skirts, underneath. "And you will live, Unonian scum. Truly live the rest of your pitiful life free."

"Nothing is free under you," Todd barked. "Even you are a slave to yourself. You _will _be crushed by us Unonians one day, and your soul will forever stew in the blood of demons, you heartless bastard who dares call himself a vulpine! You are a devil!"

His final words were met with the sound of gunfire from the weapon in McRasko's clutches. Todd sunk to the floor of the top of the stairs, his shades breaking on the pavement.

Everything in Fox wanted to burst out at that very moment, to cry out and blast the vile vulpine with anything and everything he had in him. But, he bit his lip until it bled, clenching his teeth with more pressure than at the bottom of the eleven seas and holding the vixen kit closer to his leg.

"As for you," McRasko continued, gazing down at Jerimijo, who knelt by Todd's side, "you may leave. Though our next meeting will be your demise."

Fox furrowed his brow. _What? Why did he let Jeri go? It… doesn't make sense – he's incapable of mercy!_

As if on cue, the bells to the famous cathedral rained its loud bell tones onto the street below. In an instant the crowd of common people stormed the stairs of the palace, bursting through the weak defenses in front of them, all hoping to reach the malevolent emperor. Fox, who waited for his men to regroup, watched as the women and children fled the scene. Even some of the frightened Mafian sentries were immediately killed. His attention was swayed from a screaming Mafian soldier falling to his death just to his right. The damaged buildings lining the streets were now filled with Unonian civilians, toting anything from metal pipes to confiscated Mafian rifles. Apparently, the city of Drawshk was waiting for the right moment to attack too.

"What do we do?" screamed one of Fox's men.

Pushing the vixen kit aside, he tore off his mask and robe. "We help them!" Soldiers to the Unonian cause revealed their plated tunics, complete with long, cut metal skirts over their pants. Chaljsko fighters, wearing whatever they were accustomed to, displayed their foreboding bladed staffs, appearing so sharp they might have been able to slice the very souls of men. With their disguises discarded, they scattered in packs, going after Mafian troops filing into the street.

Ground-shaking blasts soon followed. Thinking on sheer impulse, Fox turned to the kit still standing near him. "Take these and hide in that rain barrel over there!" he shouted, handing her his disguise. She didn't move – all she did was stare at him with eyes green and deep. Frantically he picked her up with jerky moments, carrying her to the barrel on the edge of the street out of harm's way. With his free hand he extended his guardian staff, letting the metallic blades glisten in the sunlight parting through dense clouds.

"Stay in here!" he shouted, ducking from the sound of a loud explosion nearby. "Put these on and stay here!"

Like a bullet fired in the middle of a dense forest, Fox turned with a jerk and plowed through the unprepared defenses of the Mafian might. His first kill, a low-ranking guard, hit the pavement in a daze, having just enough sense left in him to witness the lower half of his bloody body next to his head. Another, a human this time, fell victim to the long blade of the Chaljsko staff, his head sent flying across the battlefield. Turning to dodge a blast from a high-powered gun, Fox used the blunt end to bash another Mafian troop's skull in, cracking the cranium like a thick nut. Yet the kills weren't his intent. All he could see was the palace. The palace, the building where McRasko hid from the tens of thousands of dissenters, the building that displayed the ultimate seat of power in Uno, was only a flight of stairs away.

"Hold fast, Fox!" shouted a Chaljsko fighter under clenched teeth.

Taking his staff out of a dead soldier, the vulpine king tore through a makeshift Mafian barricade, front-flipping over the marbled ruins and into the belly of the fortification. At least twenty men perished under the will of his staff that second, as time slowed to meet his needs – a true tool of a man skilled in the Chaljsko. More next to them were slashed, but Fox began to lose count after a while. In an instant, he leapt to the stairs above and pursued the massive jaku doors of the palace. Three Chaljsko fighters followed.

"Please, no, spare me!" pleaded a young Mafian general.

Shrugging, Fox drew back his staff and kicked the man down the flight of stairs, taking out two sentries in hot pursuit. When he reached the handles to the doors, an explosion rocked the entire area, powerful enough to cause the vulpine king to fall and smack the small of his back on the lip of a stair tread. As he lay on the cold stone, he pounded the blades of his staff into the legs of an unknown assailant, causing his kneecap to bend back on itself and collapse. With the brief moment of relief waning, he gazed out to the avenue below. An absolute brawl was at hand, with Mafian groups filing in from all sides except in the far end of the street, which was occupied by a Unonian division. _I have to help them first. _Getting to his feet, he somersaulted forward and jumped on a collection of five men, striking them with the blunt end of his staff causing instant paralysis. Jerking his body forward, he plowed back into battle, running down the rungs at a breakneck speed. In a flash he came to the aid of two Chaljsko fighters attempting to fend off a group of nearly thirty opponents. Blocking gunfire with the shaft of his staff, he whipped the blades around his hands, dicing almost a dozen men to pulp. Turing to the others, he stabbed, sliced, cut, and chopped them into submission. No enemy troop witnessing this dared to approach the Chaljsko fighter.

More Mafian troops fell to the mercy of Fox's guardian staff, as blood began to stain the deadly blades in a dark red. The more he fought, the thinner the Mafian cause appeared to be. Still, the vulpine king was swayed to the palace. Climbing the rungs once more, he met the highest Mafian commanding officer of Drawshk, General McNerol, holding two handguns, Mafian MR-10's, known for their rapid-fire capabilities, pointed directly at Fox.

"Drop your weapon, McCloud," he commanded with a grin.

Alone and staring death in the face, Fox dropped his shoulders. Carefully he set his weapon to the floor. "What can I say," he muttered under a fake frown. "You have me this time."

"Such a stupid man!" he barked as he lowered his guns. "We have you now! We'll kill you just like we killed your fiancée!"

Smiling, the thin Chaljsko fighter grabbed the man's arms and snapped both of them off. Then, with his two thumbs, he pushed them into his eye sockets until his eyes burst into soup. His high-pitched shrieks only intensified Fox's determination. Even the explosions around him only seemed to make him thrust harder. Pushing farther into the orbits, he cracked the thin bone and broke into his brain, killing him instantly.

"And you still don't know the pain I feel!"

The general's lifeless body sunk to the ground in a fit of involuntary twitches.

Immediately he grabbed his staff, almost catching his arm on the tapered edges of his long metal skirt in the process. Finally, a reasonable moment in the battle allowed Fox to open the doors of the palace. Pulling with all his might, he jerked the door forward and quickly stepped in.

"Ah," spoke a shadow across the room, "McCloud. Do stay."

Suddenly, the door behind the vulpine king slammed shut. Refusing to let his gaze falter, Fox stepped forward at a deliberate pace, his metal skirt and the metal plates on his tunic announcing his presence. "You _don't_ scare me anymore, McRasko."

"Naturally, McCloud," the emperor hissed. "But surely you _must _know you cannot eradicate me."

Whipping his staff out, Fox kept his gaze on the shadowy corner. "Evil will always perish. You're not immortal."

"I _am_. This is my domain, McCloud. My world. I do not abide by your set regulations anymore. I do not _have_ to. I have _unlimited_ authority. And the time has come to experience your demise, McCloud." Holding his breath, Fox tried not to disturb the silence. "You see, _Fox Vinsent McCloud_, a guardian cannot destroy what he underestimates."

"You've underestimated me, _general_," barked Fox. "You've underestimated me each time we have fought. Each time you said you'd kill me, yet I've lived through each contest. You can't kill me. You _know_ you can't."

A deep, growling chuckle bubbled from the far end of the room. "I _adore_ pride."

Suddenly, Fox felt himself lift from the ground. He had no idea what was happening, only that despite his struggling, he couldn't break free. Then, with a hard jerk, his body slammed against the wall of the palace, cracking the dull yellow wallpaper and obliterating the brick behind it.

"Foolish _mortal_!" bellowed the emperor. Stepping out of the shadows, he slowly walked over to Fox, who now was collapsed at the end of the wall, in too much pain to move to his legs. He grinned, displaying his rotting teeth and hole-ridden tongue. Eyes bloodshot and unusually bright peered from high cheeks, giving him the appearance of sheer evil. "I have become more powerful than you can ever imagine, young sham. Sham to those you glibly declare you protect, yet permit them to be annihilated with the drop of a hat!" Picking Fox up by the neck, the emperor beamed another grotesque smile. "But they will be mine before long. After all, it has been promised to me. McRasko will sit atop the throne of Uno!" Gripping the vile fox's thick hand, Fox tried everything to keep from suffocation. "I could destroy your pathetic little life right now." Suddenly his smile disappeared. "I could, however, let you subsist to witness the demise of your people, to see them slowly turn into machines to do my bidding, bound to be nothing more than animal fodder the rest of their deplorable lives." With a hard throw, Fox's body slammed into the tiles of the floor.

"You… will never win, McRasko," Fox whispered, unable to shout anymore. "You can't. Uno is ruled by the Almighty, not… you."

Perturbed, the sinister emperor kicked Fox in the side, sending his body tumbling across the floor. "I will be the judge of that!" Cracking his knuckles slowly, he stepped to him and lifted a giant booted foot, stepping on Fox's ribs, slowly cracking them one by one. "Give up! Give up now! You have _no _chance! I win!"

Screaming and trying to escape, Fox squirmed like a worm. The pain was unbearable. His opponent had truly become too strong for him. "Never!" he shrieked. "I will never let Maria down!"

"You will burn in hell before ever seeing her again!" His voice was a deep growl.

"I refuse to suffer your fate!" Fox sputtered under clenched teeth and shut eyes.

"Why must you persist?" Stepping off him, the emperor scowled. "You are not immortal. I will do whatever I _can_ to kill you!" With a jerk, he turned to look outside the nearest window. "Hear me, McCloud: you may think you are secure, you may think you cannot be destroyed presently, but that is truly a farce. One day you will see the errors of your ways, but it will be too late to be rescued from your fate. One day your luck will run out, your inner self will snap, and you will be mine!"

In an instant a purple lighting bolt blasted where the emperor once stood. Depressed and in pain, Fox began to lose sight of his arm in front of him.


End file.
